For educational purposes, Let’s create a MusicXML file that represents a D major scale (starting on D4 (near middle C), go up two octaves and then back down two octaves), put a “repeat” symbol at the end, and then use the lyrics from the “Star Spangled Banner” as insert capability for the <lyric> element. After that, a short term-description list for each of the XML element names using common musicology terms.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<!DOCTYPE score-partwise PUBLIC
"-//Recordare//DTD MusicXML 3.1 Partwise//EN"
"http://www.musicxml.org/dtds/partwise.dtd">
<score-partwise version="3.1">
<work>
<work-title>D Major Scale with Lyrics Example</work-title>
</work>
<part-list>
<score-part id="P1">
<part-name>Voice</part-name>
</score-part>
</part-list>
<part id="P1">
<measure number="1">
<attributes>
<divisions>1</divisions>
<key>
<fifths>2</fifths>
</key>
<time>
<beats>4</beats>
<beat-type>4</beat-type>
</time>
<clef>
<sign>G</sign>
<line>2</line>
</clef>
</attributes>
<note>
<pitch><step>D</step><octave>4</octave></pitch>
<duration>1</duration>
<type>quarter</type>
<lyric><text>Oh</text></lyric>
</note>
<note>
<pitch><step>E</step><octave>4</octave></pitch>
<duration>1</duration>
<type>quarter</type>
<lyric><text>say</text></lyric>
</note>
<note>
<pitch><step>F</step><alter>1</alter><octave>4</octave></pitch>
<duration>1</duration>
<type>quarter</type>
<lyric><text>can</text></lyric>
</note>
<note>
<pitch><step>G</step><octave>4</octave></pitch>
<duration>1</duration>
<type>quarter</type>
<lyric><text>you</text></lyric>
</note>
</measure>
<measure number="2">
<note>
<pitch><step>A</step><octave>4</octave></pitch>
<duration>1</duration>
<type>quarter</type>
<lyric><text>see</text></lyric>
</note>
<note>
<pitch><step>B</step><octave>4</octave></pitch>
<duration>1</duration>
<type>quarter</type>
<lyric><text>by</text></lyric>
</note>
<note>
<pitch><step>C</step><alter>1</alter><octave>5</octave></pitch>
<duration>1</duration>
<type>quarter</type>
<lyric><text>the</text></lyric>
</note>
<note>
<pitch><step>D</step><octave>5</octave></pitch>
<duration>1</duration>
<type>quarter</type>
<lyric><text>dawn's</text></lyric>
</note>
</measure>
<measure number="3">
<note>
<pitch><step>E</step><octave>5</octave></pitch>
<duration>1</duration>
<type>quarter</type>
<lyric><text>ear</text></lyric>
</note>
<note>
<pitch><step>F</step><alter>1</alter><octave>5</octave></pitch>
<duration>1</duration>
<type>quarter</type>
<lyric><text>ly</text></lyric>
</note>
<note>
<pitch><step>G</step><octave>5</octave></pitch>
<duration>1</duration>
<type>quarter</type>
</note>
<note>
<pitch><step>A</step><octave>5</octave></pitch>
<duration>1</duration>
<type>quarter</type>
</note>
</measure>
<measure number="4">
<note><pitch><step>B</step><octave>5</octave></pitch><duration>1</duration><type>quarter</type></note>
<note><pitch><step>C</step><alter>1</alter><octave>6</octave></pitch><duration>1</duration><type>quarter</type></note>
<note><pitch><step>D</step><octave>6</octave></pitch><duration>1</duration><type>quarter</type></note>
<note><pitch><step>C</step><alter>1</alter><octave>6</octave></pitch><duration>1</duration><type>quarter</type></note>
</measure>
<measure number="5">
<note><pitch><step>B</step><octave>5</octave></pitch><duration>1</duration><type>quarter</type></note>
<note><pitch><step>A</step><octave>5</octave></pitch><duration>1</duration><type>quarter</type></note>
<note><pitch><step>G</step><octave>5</octave></pitch><duration>1</duration><type>quarter</type></note>
<note><pitch><step>F</step><alter>1</alter><octave>5</octave></pitch><duration>1</duration><type>quarter</type></note>
</measure>
<measure number="6">
<note><pitch><step>E</step><octave>5</octave></pitch><duration>1</duration><type>quarter</type></note>
<note><pitch><step>D</step><octave>5</octave></pitch><duration>1</duration><type>quarter</type></note>
<note><pitch><step>C</step><alter>1</alter><octave>5</octave></pitch><duration>1</duration><type>quarter</type></note>
<note><pitch><step>B</step><octave>4</octave></pitch><duration>1</duration><type>quarter</type></note>
</measure>
<measure number="7">
<note><pitch><step>A</step><octave>4</octave></pitch><duration>1</duration><type>quarter</type></note>
<note><pitch><step>G</step><octave>4</octave></pitch><duration>1</duration><type>quarter</type></note>
<note><pitch><step>F</step><alter>1</alter><octave>4</octave></pitch><duration>1</duration><type>quarter</type></note>
<note><pitch><step>E</step><octave>4</octave></pitch><duration>1</duration><type>quarter</type></note>
</measure>
<measure number="8">
<note><pitch><step>D</step><octave>4</octave></pitch><duration>1</duration><type>quarter</type></note>
<note><rest/><duration>1</duration><type>quarter</type></note>
<note><rest/><duration>1</duration><type>quarter</type></note>
<note><rest/><duration>1</duration><type>quarter</type></note>
<barline location="right">
<repeat direction="backward"/>
</barline>
</measure>
</part>
</score-partwise>Now, a short term–description list mapping the main MusicXML element names to common musicology concepts. This is intentionally concise and pedagogical.
• score-partwise — The full musical score, organized measure-by-measure across parts (analogous to a conductor’s score layout).
• part-list — The roster of performing forces (instruments or voices).
• score-part — A single notated part or instrument.
• part — The actual musical content for one instrument or voice.
• measure — A bar; a unit of musical time defined by the meter.
• attributes — Notational parameters that establish musical context (key, meter, clef).
• divisions — The rhythmic resolution; how note durations are subdivided.
• key — The key signature, defining the tonal center and accidentals.
• fifths — Number of sharps or flats in the key signature, measured along the circle of fifths.
• time — The meter, specifying beats per measure and beat unit.
• clef — The reference point for pitch placement on the staff.
• note — A single musical event with pitch and duration.
• pitch — The notated pitch, composed of step, alteration, and octave.
• step — The diatonic pitch class (A–G).
• alter — Chromatic alteration (−1 flat, +1 sharp, etc.).
• octave — The pitch register.
• duration — The temporal length of the note in divisions.
• type — The conventional note value (quarter, half, etc.).
• rest — A silence of specified duration.
• barline — A structural boundary between measures.
• repeat — A directive indicating repeated playback of a musical section